Minerals and waste

May 2016We have published a new Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (MWDS) which sets out the plan documents we expect to prepare over the coming few years. It is available to download from the Information and Resources section of this page.

We have also launched a consultation on a new Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), which is open from 13 May until 24 June 2016. If you wish to comment on the SCI, please send any comments in writing to the Planning Policy Team at the address below.

October 2016We approved the SCI 2016 on 10 October 2016. The Consultation Statement includes a summary of the comments received, the officer responses, and the changes made to the consultation draft which have been incorporated into the approved SCI 2016.

We are the minerals and waste planning authority for the county, with the exception of Exmoor National Park.

Exmoor National Park is a separate authority, and details about their planning work can be found on the Exmoor national Park website.

Waste and recycling services for all local authorities in Somerset are managed by Somerset Waste Partnership. Information on these services and more is available on Somerset Waste Partnership's website.

There are two basic duties that we must carry out as the minerals and waste planning authority. These are planning control and preparing the Minerals and Waste Development Framework, which is a set of policy documents which will form the blueprint for future mineral extraction and waste management in Somerset over the next 10-15 years.

These policy documents will also cover:

Policies for protection of residential amenity land

Features of wildlife, landscape and heritage importance

Once adopted, these policies will then form the main guidance for assessing mineral and waste planning applications.

Who can use it?The Somerset Minerals and Waste Development Framework is of interest to anyone wanting to find out about how mineral extraction and waste management will evolve in Somerset in the future.

How do I use it?The development framework arrangements for producing the Minerals and Waste Development Framework were brought in under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. All Local Plans (Minerals and Waste) produced under previous systems will be gradually replaced as the new plans are adopted. If you would like to learn more about the planning system, then check out the Planning Portal website for further information.

If you would like to be added to the mailing list please contact us either by phone or email. Please include your name, address and email (if you have one) and whether you represent an organisation. We will normally contact you by email, which sometimes involves sending documents. If you use a dial up internet connection, or would prefer to receive communications by post then please let us know.

PolicyWe must produce a Monitoring Report on a regular basis (which historically has been annual) for the local community. This report assesses the progress and effectiveness of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework. It covers:

Are policies achieving their objectives?

Have policies had intended consequences?

Are the assumptions and objectives behind policies still relevant?

The "Annual Monitoring Report", which can be viewed on this website, includes a range of indicators that help to show what is happening.

Laws and regulationThe Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out how we will consult and engage local communities and organisations when carrying out work related to potential mineral and waste facilities.

We approved the Statement of Community Involvement 2016 on 10 October 2016. It replaces the SCI adopted in 2006.

The Minerals and Waste Development Scheme identifies the individual documents needed and the timetable for producing them. A revised Scheme was adopted in March 2007.